Manager Mike Ryan, who has been with Economy Insulating Co. in Hampton 21 years, feels foam "died with the ban on it five years ago."

So Ryan and Kissel rely on fiberglass blown into walls for the majority of their insulation work.

Enthusiasm for insulation reached a peak a decade ago when there was still concern about an energy crunch and the federal government allowed a tax rebate for those that insulated existing homes.

Now the tax rebate is gone and interest has abated, but, says Kissel, "There are still an awful lot of houses which still need to be insulated.

"People aren't as energy-conscious, even though they have nothing in their walls. It's just not as high on their priority list as it should be, from my point of view."

He concedes "lots of contractors don't wannt to fool with old houses today, but we enjoy it."

Ryan says one change that involves insulation and housing has evolved the last few years thanks to the Virginia Power Company.

"Their approach to having energy saving packages in new homes ... is in itself a relatively new concept," he says. "A lot of builders - about 50 percent - are going along with it. New construction requires upgrading the state's standard building code in walls, ceiling and crawl space.

"Today, people buying new homes will want to be sure that what they spend on heating and cooling is as inexpensive as possible."

He also points out that in the past month Owens/Corning Fiberglas and the Certainty Corp. "have come out with several blanket insulations. They increase the R-factors but not the thickness of the product. There is a denser weave.

"It's still fairly expensive, but I expect we'll use it more and more as time goes on."

Connor's enthusiasm for foam insulation is extensive.

"It's great for use in older homes with no wall insulation. It's easy to put in. You just strip some board off and insert a hole. The material goes in like aerosol in shaving lather. It's like a cream but in a few seconds it will start to solidify and in a few days it's completely dry.

"It has the look of a styrofoam cooler and can be used in any cavity such as cinder blocks."

He also points out that it can be used in brick by injection through the "T" in the mortar. "Its especially great for older brick houses that have no insulation."

Another foam-plus Connor cites concerns noise control. "When I do exterior walls, the first thing people do is rave about how that cuts down the outside noise... Also I try to put foam underneath the bathtubs if it's needed. That keeps hot water hot when it's in the tub.